As the Senate controversy heated up earlier this year, irate Canadians sent Stephen Harper’s office a barrage of emails, expressing outrage at the spending habits of senators and urging that the upper chamber be abolished.

Canadians sent a barrage of emails to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office to vent about the Senate spending scandal and news that his chief of staff had bailed out Sen. Mike Duffy, pictured in May, to the tune of $90,172.

That’s just a taste of the anger Canadians vented at Prime Minister Stephen Harper as the Senate spending scandal boiled over and news broke that his chief of staff had bailed out Sen. Mike Duffy to the tune of $90,172.

As the controversy heated up earlier this year, irate Canadians sent Harper’s office a barrage of emails, expressing outrage at the spending habits of senators and urging that the upper chamber be abolished.

“The more I hear of the expense accounts and salaries of the senators, the more (nauseated) and outraged I become,” read one email.

Another writer said took aim at the Senate’s ostensible role of “sober, second thought . . . . I think it applies to the careful consideration they give to milking the system and covering their tracks.”

Another didn’t mince words, wondering whether a Senate appointment was “akin to being granted a licence to lie, cheat and steal.”

“I want to know where my money goes. Every last nickel,” the email read.

The emails were obtained by the Star from the Privy Council Office under Access to Information. They include a five-day period in February plus two more days in May after it became public that Harper’s then-chief of staff, Nigel Wright, had given Duffy a personal “gift” of $90,172.

Their tone ranges from outrage to constructive criticism with several Canadians offering suggestions on how the Senate should be made more accountable to Canadians and the need to tighten oversight of Senate spending. Not surprisingly, none of the writers rushed to support the senators caught in the spending crosshairs.

“Get rid of these people. Are these the best Canada has to represent us. Unbelievable,” said one writer from B.C.

One writer even referred Harper to the Toronto Star website and a graphic showing the living and travel expenses of individual senators.

“If you want to feel a bit sick about the Senate then take a look at this. Sick is not the word . . . Disgusting!!!! to the taxpayers of Canada,” read one.

The Senate spending controversy broke early this year around living expenses claimed by then Conservative Senators Mike Duffy and Patrick Brazeau and Mac Harb, a former Liberal.

But the scandal landed squarely in the prime minister’s lap with news that Wright had secretly given Duffy a personal cheque for $90,172 to repay inappropriately claimed expenses.

Wright, a former Bay St. financier, has since resigned his job.

One Canadian said he was “appalled” at Wright’s actions, adding, “is it important to compromise the integrity of the highest office for the likes of Mr. Duffy.”

Another writer put his own hand out. “We were wondering if you would ask Mr. Wright if he would be able to give each and every Canadian $90,000.”

Several suggested there was a double standard between Parliament Hill and the world where most Canadians work — and where fiddling with expense accounts would mean a quick march out the front door.

“In the private sector, where I spent my career, falsifying expense claims was and still is a firing offence,” wrote someone from Ontario.

“What a signal to send. Cheat as much as you want because the only penalty if you get caught will be to repay the money. . . . Hardly the actions of a ‘tough on crime’ government,’ ” wrote another from Mississauga.

“No Canadian could get away with what you Frauders (sic) are doing! We would be charged and jailed! How can there be a double standard for a corrupt government?????” wrote another.

The emails drive home the political risks this ongoing scandal holds for the Conservatives and the anger it has stirred among the party’s core supporters.

And the controversy continues to unfold now that the RCMP has launched their own investigation. There are also separate ethics probes underway as well.

And a separate audit of Sen. Pamela Wallin’s travel spending has yet to be released. She has quit the Conservative caucus pending the results of that audit and has repaid $38,000.

If there is a silver lining for the Tories, it’s that the spending woes appear to have stoked public demands for Senate reform, an agenda that Harper has been trying to push forward.

“Mr. Harper, I vote for you, placed your sign on my front lawn and support your platform. The waste of taxpayer money in our Senate is spinning out of control,” wrote another.

The Prime Minister’s Office replied to most emails, saying the comments “have been noted.” But even that sparked a sharp rebuttal from one writer.

“Never mind telling me that my ‘comments have been noted.’ What I and other Canadian taxpayers want to hear is that action is being taken,” said the note signed a “Very Disgruntled Conservative.”

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